I finally found the perfect art medium for me. I’m not a meticulous person. I love creating and I do have an artistic streak, but I also hate following directions and I’m not particularly good at taking my time. This project is perfect for that. It’s simple and relatively inexpensive, with a wide threshold for creativity and mistakes…it doesn’t get any better!
What you’ll need:
Art Canvas (Mine are 28×30 for reference)
Joint Compound (drywall mud) I use an all-purpose, ready mixed kind and got a 1L bucket
Joint knife
Adhesive spreader with notches (There are tons of drywall and artist tools you can use to make a variety of shapes and designs, but I only used this type of spreader)
Directions:
I mixed the compound with my hands in the bucket, well enough to make it as smooth and creamy as possible without air bubbles. Then I plopped a handful on the canvas and started spreading it with my hands. It’s actually so therapeutic, I did this for a while to really get that creamy texture. Next, using the joint knife, I spread the compound evenly over the canvas, using both portrait and landscape movements with light pressure. This gave me a backdrop I was happy with. I found it much too difficult to try and get a perfectly even layer across the entire canvas. Plus, I love the added design and texture it gave the piece. I then used the spreader with notches to make whatever designs I wanted, from waves to arches to squiggles. I kept a continuous motion per design, and washed it clean anytime I started a new design. Anytime I wasn’t happy with a design, I’d use the spreader to wipe it down and started over. It was amazing to be able to do that. I also didn’t need to worry about it drying out, so I took as long as I wanted. There aren’t a ton of art mediums with this type of flexibility! Once I had landed on my finished designs, I let it dry for a few days until it was hard and white and hung it with simple finishing nails.
I’ve seen tons of different designs like waves, suns, abstract lines, and more when I searched joint compound art or texture art. Many artists add paint as well! I’m into neutrals and monochromatic rooms, so I stuck with the basic white. This is a fairly inexpensive and super easy project (with materials lots of people already have on hand), and it was so gratifying! I first saw this from my.saltystudio, and took her workshop which was helpful for me. Not everyone would need a class, but I enjoyed it and found her tips super useful for my first time.
Let me know if you give it a go!
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